New Freemansburg Council Still Facing Old Problems

January 04, 1990|by DONALD BLOUNT, The Morning Call

Freemansburg Borough Council will be somewhat different this year, with two new board members and promises to "work together." However, it will face many of the same problems the old councils did, such as a lingering debt.

The borough had anticipated eliminating the debt within three years, Council President Ray Hayduk said. "Maybe, with a little hope and luck, we can do it in two."

Council allocated $73,000 in this year's budget to reduce the debt, which currently is $88,366 and at one time was more than $112,000.

Progress is being made, Hayduk said. The borough is now only one year behind in some bills for which it was a couple of years behind in the past.

He added that borough residents are "going to have a working council now. Some (members) didn't work with others" in the past.

"Everybody's going to know what everyone's doing all of the time," Mayor Gerald Yob said.

Along with that, Hayduk said, all borough information will be released through part-time executive secretary Cathy Kichline between 10 am.-3 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays. "We didn't say that council can't talk to the press," Hayduk added, but "the official word will be from the office, not from home."

He said there were "just too many mix-ups and times (you) call three people and get three different stories."

"Nothing really going on after a council meeting until the next council meeting," he said, and added there is no need for any comments to be made in between.

On Tuesday, council appointed John Borghi to fill a vacant two-year council term, rejecting Charles Derr, the former council president.

Derr had been runner-up for the seat in an election mix-up that resulted in only one two-year term being listed on the ballot instead of two.

Derr said he expected to be refused appointment to the slot because of conflicts with council members, but "to handle it the way they did not was not fair to anyone else."

"I not only was not considered, they did not give the public at large a chance to respond," he said.

Hayduk said there had been plenty of time for other people interested to apply for the position. "We can't fill these other positions" on the Zoning Hearing Board and Planning Commission, he said, so waiting longer wouldn't have made much difference.

Robert McLaughlin was appointed to the borough Municipal Authority. He replaces Anthony Casciano, who had sought re-appointment.

Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the budget at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15.